Simple things that most 10-year-old girls take for granted were often that much harder for Catherine Wanjiku. She lives in Marura Community, to the south of Ol Pejeta, and is partially blind due to a brain tumor. Walking to school, concentrating on her homework, even playing outside with friends presented huge challenges for her, as the growth in her brain has lead to the complete loss of eyesight in her left eye. While her teachers at Irura Primary School tried to help her as best they could, they are not trained to effectively support students with disabilities like Catherine. What's more, her family could not afford to send her to hospital for treatment.

Earlier this year, students from George Heriots in the UK visited Ol Pejeta. They have supported the construction of computer labs and ablution blocks at Catherine's school, and have close links with Ol Pejeta's community department. It was during their latest visit that George Heriots students met with Catherine, and were driven to help. During their trip, they raised Ksh. 60,000 for urgent medical care, which enabled Catherine to see a specialist doctor, who recommended further treatment. The George Heriots students raised and transferred a further Ksh. 200,000 when they got back to the UK, each doing their part to fundraise through bake sales and sponsored events. This has helped Catherine get the medical help she desperately needed, and the growth of her brain tumor has stopped, boosting her confidence and overall body health.

But she still requires extra help at school, and not wanting to give up on her, the students from George Heriots did something even more amazing. They agreed to sponsor her entire primary school education at the Thika School for the Blind, one of Kenya's best specialist schools. We hear that Catherine is really excited to start her new school, and is so grateful to the students at George Heriots.